Calif. Woman’s Body Found, 3 Still Missing After Boating Collision On Colorado River

MOABI REGIONAL PARK, Calif. (CBSLA/AP) — Authorities found the body of a California woman Monday morning and are searching for three more missing people after two boats collided over the weekend on the Colorado River along the California-Arizona border.

The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office reports that the body of 51-year-old Christi Lewis of Tulare County in Central California was found in the river at around 7:30 a.m. Monday. The search for the three other missing people continues, one of whom was identified by her mother as Kirra Drury of Ventura.

Lewis was the stepdaughter of former Tulare County Sheriff Bill Wittman, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

According to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, a Hallet boat carrying 10 people and a Sleek Craft boat with six people on board collided head-on at about 8 p.m. Saturday in Moabi Regional Park, a popular water recreation area along the California-Arizona border about 290 miles east of Los Angeles. The collision occurred north of Lake Havasu, between Pirates Cove and the Topock Marina.

Everyone aboard was ejected into the water and both boats sank. Authorities say both boats sank and passing boaters pulled victims from the water.

Ten people were injured. One person was found in critical condition and flown to a hospital in Las Vegas and nine others were taken to local hospitals by ambulance.

The three missing people, two women and one man, were all aboard the Hallet boat.

Anita Mortensen, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, says none of the boaters were wearing life vests when the collision occurred.

Dive teams with the San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County sheriff’s departments are assisting in the search.